


if we were made of water

by Sylvalum



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Asexuality Spectrum, Gen, Hints of CC/Marianne, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29439735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvalum/pseuds/Sylvalum
Summary: One day Lelouch asks CC, while going over some paperwork for the Black Knights, so very carefully not looking at her as he says it, “Have you ever died for love?”
Relationships: C.C. & Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Kururugi Suzaku/Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia
Comments: 11
Kudos: 43





	if we were made of water

**Author's Note:**

> A-spec Lelouch for valentine’s day! If his conclusions about himself and his preferences sound ambiguous it’s because A) I’m projecting, I’m not 100% sure so he’s not sure either, and B) I’m pretty sure Britannia is practically steeped in propaganda advocating able-bodied hetero couples w/ "strong" children so he doesn't exactly have role models to help here, and C) Lelouch is a Liar. Title taken from the BANKS song by the same name.

While the witch is not exactly nosy, as she makes herself out to be too apathetic to care about common people’s affairs, CC nevertheless seems to have no regard for other people’s privacy and looks shamelessly over Lelouch’s shoulder when he takes out his phone with the intention to contact Ougi. “Those are your classmates,” she states idly, and Lelouch pauses, his lock screen with the picture Sayoko took of the student council on display. CC continues, “Who’s that girl who’s draped over you? She seems cute.”

“Milly,” says Lelouch. He glances at CC’s expressionless face and uncaringly (cautiously) offers up another sentence. “She’s the student council president.”

“Hmm,” CC hums. “Nothing else?”

“What else?” asks Lelouch curtly. All at once he has an unmistakable feeling where this line of questions is going.

“I assume you haven’t got a girlfriend,” says CC, being predictable for once, and takes a step back. She sprawls out on his bed, then pins him with her eyes and says, “I was just making sure of it. Girlfriends can be so very distracting, and it wouldn’t do for you to fail to uphold your part of my contract.”

Up until now, he’d been doing his homework with a side of budgeting for the Black Knights, the book still open on his desk. He’d been thinking about logistics.

That is to say, he wasn’t expecting _this_ discussion right _now_ – but of course he’s prepared.

Lelouch takes a deep breath. “Then you’ve got nothing to fear,” he says, a little nastily and very, very deliberately. “As I have no interest whatsoever in girls.”

He stares hard at CC and waits for her to say something. While the choice to reveal this secret of course was deliberate, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t also reckless. But if CC will not leave, then inevitably she’d find out eventually, and – like this, at least Lelouch has control of the situation. He’s prepared for the worst-case scenario before this, of course, and even if those plans had been nothing but hypothetical, he’s still got contingencies and agreements he could make already planned out in detail. If CC decides that _this_ particular trait of his is the dealbreaker, finally, which would be as fucking ridiculous as it’d be bigoted – but in the lovely land of Britannia it’s best to never expect anything else, obviously, and so Lelouch braces himself.

But all CC does is blink and say, “Well, then I hope you won’t get yourself a terribly distracting boyfriend, either.”

His exhale comes out as a harsh laugh. “Oh, you needn’t worry,” he says, carefully keeping any bitterness out of his voice. “There’s no one I’d be interested in.”

“Is that so,” says CC. She lies there in his bed and sizes Lelouch up with her eyes, but she won’t find anything. Lelouch’s hands do not tremble and his expression is blank going on amused, and he doesn’t fidget, he sits properly but not too stiffly, perfectly relaxed as he waits patiently, and maybe CC still somehow finds something in his face or posture. Some crack. Or maybe she doesn’t. She says, “I’d hope not.”

Then she swings her legs over the edge of the bed and rises, turning to leave the room. Lelouch turns back to his homework and stares down at the papers, but he hears CC walking away, hears her stop for a moment at the door and say, “And I’m gay, too. Relax.”

And when Lelouch then jerks his head up to look at her she’s already gone.

His heart is – stupidly – racing. But no one will know that, and no one will see his unguarded smile either.

* * *

Lelouch has no interest in girls, of that he’s sure. He’s heard the other boys talk about it all and felt nothing but a vague disgust – their words being so crude, and the sentiments worse, and honestly, Lelouch didn’t have the time for a girlfriend anyway. Nor did he have the energy, the will to make any commitments or vows or engage in – intimacy. He much preferred the simple, easy affection between friends and siblings than the sorts of things other boys supposedly were interested in – or _ought_ to be interested in, according to the state.

Milly could sympathise with him – to an extent. She realised she could safely complain about her family’s attempts to find her a nice, good, proper _male_ fiancé to Lelouch, assuming – correctly, Lelouch supposed – that Lelouch would understand.

If he’d stayed with the royal family he would’ve been in the same boat as her, after all.

Eventually Nina joined in on their sessions, slowly coaxed into it by Milly who wanted the mousy girl to talk more, and then their conversations turned from the lack of attraction for the opposite gender into conversations about attraction _to_ people of one’s own gender. And once again, like with the boys in the locker rooms before Lelouch started skipping PE completely, Lelouch could not relate.

He wasn’t attracted to girls no – but neither could he remember ever being attracted to anyone else.

If Lelouch hadn’t decided on such a heavy golden destiny for himself, and if he didn’t think himself so uniquely equipped for it, and if he didn’t have so many bigger things to worry about – keeping his and Nunnally’s cover intact, for one, and keeping the Black Knights functioning – and if he hadn’t already decided that since he was considered dead in the eyes of the empire then he’d stand as an outcast proudly, boldly, furiously; if it weren’t for those things, then maybe Lelouch would’ve wondered if there was something he just didn’t grasp. Perhaps. Maybe he’d have wondered why he was so slow on the uptake here when in nearly all other instances he’d be considered a prodigy among his peers, or whether he needed to try looking at things differently, or some such thing.

But this Lelouch had, of course, so many other things to worry about, and no time to entertain self-deprecating thoughts. None at all.

* * *

Shirley thinks love’s the most beautiful thing in the world, that there’s nothing stronger and nothing more delicate, nothing so precious or essential. To Shirley, love is light and ever-present – like sunlight. Shirley herself nearly radiates love and would never truly blame anyone for feeling it.

Nunnally thinks love is something that must be protected, and nurtured, and that if you want to build something lasting out of love you must invest in it. And while Nunnally has never doubted other people’s (Lelouch’s) love for her, Lelouch knows that despite his best efforts and Nunnally’s own blindness, his little sister became aware of some things during the war. The world is not a gentle place.

Lelouch sometimes thinks that Shirley’s philosophy is not only foolish but incredibly egocentric; that it’s the sentiment of someone who’s never been abandoned or betrayed. Love’s not fucking ever-present. It’s enough to look at the ghettos or the way Japanese people flinch at noblemen’s laughter to realise that simple kindness and gentleness are scarce and precious resources that no one wants to share. That even affection often is beyond most people, to say nothing of love, real love. And Lelouch is not inclined to be frivolous with love. His real love, from the bottom of his heart, is for Nunnally and only Nunnally, always. Except-

CC says, “So there’s a boy after all, isn’t there?”

“I’m allowed to have friends, am I not?” asks Lelouch breezily, and turns away from the window through which he’d been watching Suzaku walking off the school grounds.

“Why the deflection,” says CC, amused. “Have you suddenly become embarrassed?”

Lelouch doesn’t answer her; if you don’t feed the birds they’ll go away.

CC huffs. “I suppose he’s cute, for a boy. And a soldier, no less. Was that part of your plan?”

A soldier, says CC nonchalantly, no care at all. As if he isn’t a soldier in the damned Britannian army.

An _honorary Britannian_ in the army – he’ll never get higher than private, maybe sergeant if he’s lucky, but considering they’d picked him as scapegoat for Clovis’s murder that’s unlikely. He’ll never be able to climb the ranks high enough to be able to change even one thing in Britannia. Surely, he must know that. Surely, he must come to his senses soon enough, and realise that the best thing for Japan and the best thing that _he_ could do would be to support the Black Knights. Keep his head down and stop seeking out danger.

Lelouch doesn’t _want_ to try to understand why Suzaku would join the military in the first place. What he hopes to get out of it. It’s madness.

And CC’s wrong. He doesn’t even truly love Suzaku, anyway, and definitely not in the way CC’s thinking. Lelouch has a very limited supply of love in his heart, and all of it is for Nunnally – except. Except that oh, _but maybe_ , simpers the annoying voice in his head. _Maybe_ if Suzaku wouldn’t rush into danger, if Suzaku would stay where Lelouch could protect him. If Suzaku would _want_ to stay. Then maybe, Lelouch would fall in love with him the way a normal person supposedly does – would want to go on cutesy normal dates and kiss and all that rom-com stuff, instead of feeling longing slice through him at the thought of fighting together for the same goal, Suzaku proudly by his side. Suzaku never blanching at Lelouch’s ruthlessness or his Geass or his plans, but instead _understanding_. Or Suzaku daring to share all of his secrets with Lelouch, and all his hopes and dreams, and Lelouch would take them and carry them safely with him like he’d do as a child, miming zipping up his lips after Suzaku told him about sneaking out of the house late and reading his father’s private mail and tripping into the pond the previous summer. And Suzaku would know that Lelouch wouldn’t tell anybody. And they’d share a grin, and Suzaku would lean forward and then touch Lelouch’s lips, carefully-

And that’s where the daydream dissipates, every time. Because Lelouch doesn’t want to even begin to think about what kinds of strategies he’d need to manoeuvre himself out of that situation without hurting Suzaku, or being forced to follow through on that kiss.

* * *

Marianne’s son is what people would call remarkable, obviously – CC would expect nothing less of a vi Britannia – though he’s keeping most of that grandeur under wraps. He’s hiding parts of himself from every single person in his life. CC thought she’d seen every poker face and every mask available to the human species, but Lelouch is fast at changing masks, and he’s adaptable, and sometimes even CC has trouble reading his face. But he’s also _young_ , and his venom doesn’t sting as badly as Marianne’s, his teeth not as sharp, so when he’s hurting CC can easily spot it.

Lelouch has another trick for just that, of course. He shows off his weakness as a gesture of goodwill, as an attempt to distract, to buy himself more time.

But curiously, as CC starts to notice, Lelouch _stops_ keeping his guard up around her after a few weeks. He simply _lets_ her see what he’s thinking. He doesn’t calculate before letting an expression show, he stops hiding his discomfort and exhaustion- it’s as if he’s become bored of her.

It is so unlike Marianne.

Because, as CC ought to have known, Lelouch isn’t some watered-down version of Marianne.

CC never really spent any time around Marianne’s children. Some attendants would take care of the little prince and his baby sister while CC and Marianne and the whole gang would take some wine and go sit out in the garden. They’d discuss their plans – _their_ plans, CC wasn’t ever as interested as the three of them – and Marianne would tease CC and laugh, and CC would quirk her lips and watch her.

(CC could fill a book with all the thoughts she’s had about Marianne, _for_ Marianne-)

Those days feel, to CC, as if they happened just a few weeks ago, but CC’s been to too many places in between then and now to pretend that nothing’s changed. Marianne’s son and daughter have both grown into teenagers, hell, Lelouch and CC would even appear to be the same age to an outsider. Even Mao grew up and came crawling out of the past to mess with CC’s current contract-taker – another loose end from the time After Marianne. CC’s left several people throughout history like she’d left Mao, made many contracts that ended much the same way. Everyone thinks they’ll be great, but all they ever become is isolated.

(Yes, even _you_ would’ve fallen eventually, Marianne.)

CC didn’t stick around to see what Lelouch would do with his Geass out of some sense of obligation to Marianne. CC never cared about the children while they actually lived in the imperial villa, so why would she do it now? Lelouch isn’t Marianne’s child anymore. CC’s never had anything tying her to him. Not until now, that is – because now he’s CC’s contract-taker. And she’s his accomplice.

And very much his senior in many matters. Britannia may have an openly gay prime minister now, but a state practicing not only violent discrimination and apartheid but also eugenics will _never_ be welcoming to anyone like Lelouch.

Not that he needed anyone to tell him. One day he asks CC, while going over some paperwork for the Black Knights, so very carefully not looking at her, “Have you ever died for love?”

Hah!

“Why would you ask?” counters CC.

Lelouch, with the same amethyst eyes as his mother but also the vicious desire to cut away everything that ever tied him to the imperial family. Lelouch, all of seventeen years old and styling himself into a rebel leader and miracle maker. CC has met many interesting people in her time, seen every single one of Lelouch’s traits once within someone else – but the fact that Lelouch can carry all of those different possibilities within himself at the same time makes him extraordinary.

(CC has met several extraordinary people, too.)

Before Lelouch can answer, CC changes her mind and confesses, “Yes. And I’m sure you could’ve figured that out yourself. But what’s it matter to you?”

Lelouch is silent for a moment, then asks another question. “Were they worth it?”

He’s thinking about that boy again, CC would wager. And CC props her chin on her fist and reaches deep, deep down to those memories containing what he’d asked about, those emotions so old nearly all colour has bled from them, and says, “Some of them, yes. The woman who got me burned at the stake definitely wasn’t.”

That was part joke, part warning. Lelouch only huffs a laugh.

He’s so young he’s never been bitten before, so young he doesn’t even know that there are snakes in the grass. And it’s not that CC means to lie, really, the truth is just too large for her to begin with it. It’d be so exhausting to tell it all, and if she doesn’t tell all of it down to the last detail, then somehow she always ends up lying.

Take Marianne. How would CC even begin to tell her son anything about her? Much less what she’d been to CC?

* * *

It’s not that Lelouch means to be cruel, either. Frankly, CC doesn’t think he knows _how_ to be cruel on purpose, truly cruel. It’s just that he’s such a liar, and refuses to entertain the thought of that boy of his dying. Or CC dying. Or his precious Nunnally dying, Shirley dying, Kallen dying- well, the list goes on. Lelouch, of course, would claim that the list is in fact very short, but CC knows the truth.

He refuses to let Kururugi even entertain the thought of suicide.

He refuses to let CC give up her Code and die.

He must’ve refused to even think about Nunnally dying as well, refused to believe it could happen, but after they leave the World of C and Kururugi starts picking Lelouch’s brain CC realises that while she’d been – for lack of a better word – _absent_ , Nunnally had died anyway.

All of Lelouch’s precious love for her, and she’d died anyway. All of his love for only her, and had she even wanted it that way? Had he ever even thought to ask her?

By now he must’ve realised his mistake. But now it’s too late.

* * *

His reign is just a sham, one long and elaborate con. Or perhaps not so long. It shouldn’t take Schneizel much longer to act now, and depending on what happens when he does, Lelouch’s plan will soon be over. He’ll most likely die before he turns nineteen, and if he doesn’t, that just means something has gone very and unacceptably wrong.

“I suppose you won’t have the time to worry about procuring any heirs, at least,” comments Lloyd with his usual sardonic smile. “I’d almost be jealous, Your Majesty, if it wasn’t for… well.”

His approaching death, yes. Lelouch leans against the railing of the raised platform above the hangar that he and Lloyd are standing on, looking at Suzaku as Cecile urges him to climb inside the nearly finished Albion. He takes off his cloak and drapes it over the back of a chair, then deftly pulls himself up by using the panels of the Knightmare’s leg as handhelds and gets into its seat. Those strong tanned hands now checking over all of the finicky controls of his Knightmare with the speed of someone long used to them will be the hands holding the sword – they’d decided on a sword – that will end Lelouch. Steady and sure.

It’s selfish of Lelouch to ask Suzaku to be the one to do it, perhaps. But who else could it be?

“Without the aristocracy in the picture the need for arranged marriages or heirs should be gone,” says Lelouch to Lloyd, in the meantime. “I don’t see why you should be forced to marry anyone any time soon.”

“True,” concedes Lloyd, sounding pleased. Lelouch glances at him, considering him. Lloyd’s possibly the only ex-noble not to mind _at all_ when Lelouch got rid of their titles and prestige.

Lelouch looks down at Suzaku and Cecile again and says airily, “Speaking of. Weren’t you engaged to the Ashford family heiress some time ago?”

“Ah, Milly,” says Lloyd. “Yes, yes. We made a deal – neither of us could stomach the thought of marriage you see, but already being engaged to someone is the perfect excuse for getting rid of other offers! Et voilà.”

Lelouch sneaks another glance at Lloyd. “So, you are…”

Lloyd catches him looking and smirks. “I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘asexual’, Your Majesty. Or perhaps ‘aromantic’?”

Later that evening, Lelouch will shake his head remembering the momentary flash of panic he’d felt at seeing Lloyd’s smirk as he said that. Because Lelouch’s first panicked thought had been that Lloyd was not just supposed to _know_ that about him. No one is supposed to be able to figure Lelouch out! _No one_ can know what Lelouch is really thinking, really planning behind his guise of egocentric emperor. In the moment it hadn’t mattered to Lelouch that he’d told Lloyd and the others about his grand plan already and so Lloyd would already know his most dangerous secrets, nor had Lelouch realised that Lloyd only said any of that because he himself was both of those things – because Lelouch _hates_ being figured out without deliberately having allowed it to happen.

In the hangar as it happens, Lelouch makes himself look right at Lloyd and say idly, “Yes, that.”

And then they both look down at Suzaku and Cecile, and Lelouch decides that no; Lloyd wasn’t wrong in his guess, but not entirely right either. Lelouch has to be _one_ of those words, certainly, but he can’t be both. He wants Suzaku at his side and him at Suzaku’s entirely too much, wants to spend too much time with him, wants to know every single part of him. Suzaku’s the only one he’d trust with his death and his legacy. He wants Suzaku close to him like he’s wanted no one else.

As always, Suzaku is the exception to Lelouch’s rule.

* * *

It’s impossible to say what CC believes love is, but Suzaku obviously believes love to be another burden to carry. Keeping Euphie’s pin on him long after her death, just like he’d kept the pocket watch from his father. Lelouch carefully doesn’t wonder about what memento Suzaku will carry of him.

The Albion’s gone and the Damocles is under their control, and Lelouch makes a visit to Suzaku in his private room in the infirmary before going to deliver his eulogy.

Lelouch had imagined and played out how the visit would go if Suzaku had had the good grace to be passed out when Lelouch came by, so therefore Suzaku's obviously awake when Lelouch steps inside the small room. Suzaku watches Lelouch sit down at the one chair placed next to his bed, and says, “So you’ve come to visit.” His voice is raspy; when he swallows it’s with visible effort. Lelouch can see the bandages climbing up his throat from beneath his hospital gown.

Lelouch read his entire medical report, of course, so he knows there’s no way Suzaku will die from this. The urge to reach out and smooth away the hair from Suzaku's face is irrational.

“Your funeral starts in an hour,” Lelouch tells him. “If there’s anything you’d still want arranged-“

“No,” says Suzaku. “I told you before, whatever you’ve got planned already is fine.”

Suzaku’s funeral should be grand and beautiful and unforgettable, in fact it should impress upon every guest attending just how beautiful and magnificent of a person Suzaku is – but it also, regrettably, has to be a funeral in line with Holy Britannian military customs. Lelouch consoles the snide and unhappy part of himself with the fact that at least people are _expecting_ Lelouch to be crushed that his beloved knight and right-hand man is dead; Lelouch’s eulogy to Suzaku can be as sincere as he wants it to be.

Perhaps Suzaku will not even realise exactly how sincere Lelouch is going to be. Perhaps Lelouch will restrain himself and keep the mask on at the podium, say something bland. Perhaps he could bring himself to do that.

But most likely he won’t. And most likely Suzaku will.

“Very well,” says Lelouch briskly. Then he shifts in his seat and smooths down his outfit and glances at the clock and, finally, back at Suzaku.

Suzaku’s closed his eyes and looks nearly asleep.

Lelouch watches him silently for some time before leaving for his funeral. At least he’d made a point of asking Suzaku, even if Suzaku had had nothing to say.

* * *

CC warned Lelouch not to get burned and now he’ll walk deliberately to his death, and Lelouch will not be dying for love because Suzaku will never know, and everyone he’s ever loved will be happy to see him die and if they’re not that just means something has gone very and unacceptably wrong. And when Lelouch is dead no one will care whether he ever loved anyone or not, or whom he then _did_ love, if he actually did. If he actually could. No one will remember him as an actual person.

“Isn’t it a liberating feeling,” says CC dryly.

It’s late evening and they’re in a sitting room in the Damocles, and at the table Jeremiah’s going over the security plan for the day of the Zero Requiem with Suzaku once again. Lelouch, who due to his own meticulous planning and too efficient work habits now has ended up with unexpected free time on his hands, sits and watches them from a sofa while CC watches him.

Love is a luxury, a precious resource, but as of late Lelouch hasn’t had anyone to spend it on. It’s been building a mound in his chest and now sometimes it’s hard to breathe when he looks at Suzaku, as he frowns in his sleep or watches Arthur with half-lidded eyes and a fond look. Or now.

“Yes,” says Lelouch. He arranges for a smile to form on his face. “I suppose it is.”

Like Lloyd said, this’d be perfect if only Lelouch wasn’t the demon emperor supposed to die in just a week. A week’s so short a time. Lelouch has made sure he has no unfinished business, of course – all the plans for the future of Britannia and the world at large are written – but it’d still be nice to have some more time. Lelouch scoffs. Well, _obviously_ it’d be nice. But he knew when he started this that he’d get no chance to say his goodbyes. And the less he thinks about his impending death, the better.

Nevertheless- Lelouch glances at CC and states, “You must have many regrets, being immortal.”

CC looks at Lelouch. “What may seem like good fun to you could become a lasting wound for someone else,” she says, and at once her face becomes like stone and her eyes cold and unreadable. “Do not be a fool.”

Lelouch watches blankly as CC stares him down, then gets up from her armchair and promptly leaves.

Arthur, sprawled out on the sofa across from Lelouch, stretches and yawns, mouth splitting open to show her many teeth. Then Suzaku grabs her from behind and she bites down on a mouthful of hoodie, Suzaku seeming not to even notice it. “Was there anything else you wanted me to do tonight?” Suzaku asks and looks at Lelouch, cradling Arthur to his chest.

“No,” says Lelouch. Jeremiah’s standing by the door, clearly waiting, so Lelouch says, “You’re both dismissed.”

Jeremiah nods and takes his leave. Suzaku lingers, and Lelouch considers what CC said – unhappily – then rises from his sofa. “Walk me to my room?” he asks.

Suzaku falls in step with him. He’s no longer Knight of Zero, nor does he hold another title yet – but he walks beside Lelouch anyway. Arthur chews contentedly on Suzaku's hoodie the whole way to Lelouch’s room, and Suzaku makes no move to remove her. Neither of them speaks. When they stop at the door to his room, Lelouch visibly hesitates. He glances at Suzaku, then away, and doesn’t move to open the door.

“Well?” says Suzaku. “Why are you hesitating?”

His tone is mild, not even very curious. But his eyes are fixed on Lelouch’s face. As Lelouch expected, Suzaku doesn’t want to see any doubt or hesitation in Lelouch.

“I don’t want you to leave,” says Lelouch brazenly. “I’m committed to the plan, yes, but I still wish to spend more time with you.” One of them has to be the selfish bastard here and it’ll never be Suzaku, so Lelouch says, “You mean so much to me. You may not realise it but I’m immensely grateful to have you here, always.”

“Lelouch,” says Suzaku, looking as if he very badly wants to move but like he can’t decide whether to withdraw or step forward. His expression is tight when he says, “It’s okay-“

 _It’s okay_ as in: it’s fine, Suzaku doesn’t want any thanks or any gentle words from Lelouch – because he doesn’t think he deserves it, or because he doesn’t think this is the time? Both reasons are bullshit. Or _it’s okay_ as in: Suzaku thinks Lelouch has suddenly been overcome with anxiety at the thought of their plan and is now confessing to Suzaku out of some panic-fuelled guilt, and Suzaku's trying to calm him. Which would be a blatantly untrue assumption; Lelouch is always in control of himself and this whole interaction is extremely deliberate.

Lelouch has, in fact, been pondering this matter for a very long time.

“Tell me what you want, Suzaku.” Lelouch takes one step forward, closer to Suzaku. “If there’s anything you want from me. Or if there’s something you’d still like to tell me. We don’t have forever, as you know.”

He doesn’t bother smiling as he says it, just keeps looking at Suzaku.

Suzaku closes his eyes as if in pain. Suzaku has a very high pain tolerance and slurs and criticism alike slide off him like water off a duck, but Lelouch has always been the exception to the rules of Suzaku's life, too.

“What I want from you?” he then repeats, opening his eyes and sounding – incredulous. Nearly angry. “ _Now_? When in a week we’ll be-“

“This is your last chance,” interrupts Lelouch softly. “I’m simply… making an offer.”

Suzaku says, “Then let’s sit down. Let’s _talk_.”

After a second he reaches out and grabs Lelouch’s hand, and Lelouch smiles at him, and squeezes his hand. And then, miraculously, Suzaku's eyes soften and he returns the smile.


End file.
